The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-02-11
Suicide Of wsllism Q. Yhayer.

1dr0iy had the people OF this cit)
stopped discussing the Rowley, Ros
apd Morrison tragedies than anothel
"a IS added to III. list by the terrible
suicide of William c. Thayer. al
The Merell House on Monday morn.
ing. The news Of this affair flashed
all over the city early Monday and
all day groups could be seen discuss
ing The sad event
Mr.. 'Thayer had been in the citv
but two weeks having purchased the
hardware stock of Hopkins & Gould,
ana Just finished an inventory and
laKen possession During his short
stay mere ne had gained number of
friends being very pleasant gentle
man socially. and apparently a good
business man He had been engaged
IN the hardware business at South
bend Tor TWO Years previous to coming
here, aud before that had travelled as
salesman at large salary, heirg an
No. man.
he particulars of the affair as near
as we can learn are as follows: About
,wo o'clock Monday morning, Mr..
R, lngil, who occupied the room next
to his heard noise IN tie room and
then heard something fall, thinking
The person sick he got up and went
to tine door and then heard Mr.. Thav-
er 50 across the room and get into
bed Mr.. Ingil paid no further at.
tentIon to the matter, but in an hour
heard noise again and groans. He
hen got up and went down stairs
and called Mr.. Otis Merell and in.
formed him of the mans sickness.
Mr.. Merell at once went up stairs
and found the door of the room un.
locked and slightly ajar. the gas
burning brightly and Mr.. Thayer ia
oed groaning and breathing heavily
and unconscious. He returned down
stairs and called Mr.. A. F. WiIoveg
TO assist him, and went back TO the
room as quickly as possible and
found Mr.. l'hayer dead. Mr.. MereH
says 1t was not over six minutes from
the time he first entered the room
until Ihayer was dead. Mr. Merell had
sent for Drs. McCormick and Hume
but before their arrival Mr.. T. was
dead. The appearance OF the room
'howed that the poison taken had
made him very sicl: before his death.
On the pillow was found a revolver
and IN a drawer in The dressing case
was found q box labeled trough on
rats cup found in the room had
something on the sides looking like
this preparation.
Saturday evening about half past
eight O'Clock be visited the drpo
store of Parkill g. Son and purchased
a box of rough on rats" stating that
he wanted it TO kill rats with at bie
store. After this he had talk with
Mr.. josiah Thompson, of the hard
ware firm of Thompson & Co., about
he time OF closing the stores, obtain.
ng house to live in, etc, and an
oeared to be as cheerful as usual. II.
$ supposed he took the entire box of
'oison, as nothing was left in the
)ox.
coroner Stedman was notified and
summoned the following
ury to view the remains and then
the inquest until 10 a. m:
oSah Thompson, Walker Merell. A.
. Wlllover. f. f. Strife, Geo. l..
-usk, and James Thorn Jr. The
acts brought out by the inquest were
bout as given above, and the iurv
eturhed the following verdict:
"The said William c. Thayer. on
ne 7th day Of February, in the year
S97, In Owosso, in the county afore
aid, then and there being alone in
ertain room in the Merell House.
Id voluntarily take poison com.
loniy known as trough on rats"
reducing death, and the Jurors afore
aid, upon their oaths say that the
nd William c. Thayer, in the man.
er aforesaid, then and there volun
lrily killed himself"
On the desk at his store were found
.tters addressed to Josiah Thompson
this city, and to w. L. Kizer' Of
outh Bend, Ind. In the one to Mr..
thompson he spoke of his life as
eng one of hard work, that he had
OF been overly fortunate, and that
e accumulations Of twenty years
ad been lost by bad investment.
"a that he might as well stop. He
ked him to telegraph his wife Of hi,
,ath; also to Mr.. O. l.. Baker
Cleveland, Ohio, and to w. l..
lzer, of South Bend. Also to help
tile up his business and sell the
ock and get st as much money out
1t as he could, for his "wife and
b'es."
No reason for this awful deed can
found by anyone. AT the time Of
e purchase he paid Messrs. Hopkins
Gould all but $500, and had, we
derstand, $1,000 on deposit in one